Pura Vida – One Month in Central America

A holiday that appeared endless did indeed come to an end and I can say in all honesty that I stepped out of my comfort zone many times this month...

I ran a fever when I started my journey in Mexico but recovered unbelievably fast and spent an amazing New Year's Eve at Tulum Beach.

One night at the border to Mexico, we stayed at this super scary place and thought this was our last night on earth and were all about to get killed, so the girls actually pulled shifts doing guard duty. That was the scariest night of my life, I am not exaggerating!

The next day, we weren't able to cross the border to Belize by ferry boat so had to hop on a very small plane which flew us over the Great Barrier Reef to San Pedro. What an exhilarating experience!

Much to my excitement I also met some famous people along the way such as Lena Gercke with her new secret (now not so secret) boyfriend and Alexa Chung, who was staying at the same resort as we were.

We had left our luggage on Caye Caulker Island before crossing the border to Guatemala - not the smartest decision in hindsight - so instead of seeing Antigua, we had to go all the way back to retrieve it!

And THEN....Costa Rica happened! This is when I said goodbye to my girlfriends at the airport, as we had all planned different activities - in my case, this meant surfing as much as possible.

"Pura Vida!" Those are the words that best sum up Costa Rica and my stay there. What an awe-inspiring and beautiful country, what incredible food and amazing surf!

[blockquote_with_author author]When was the last time you did something for the first time?[/blockquote_with_author]

However, this was also where my surfboard smacked me right in the face and gave me a lovely looking bruise for a few days and where I almost broke my ribs jumping down a 12m high waterfall! Crazy, right? I paid for that one by ending up with bruises all over my body and receiving two infusions to ease the pain.

After all of these amazing adventures, I really felt like I was ready to go home but then of course received the news that my flight to NY was cancelled due to a big snow storm.

Yes, I definitely missed my bed back then, fresh clothes and home cooked food ... But I have learned that this is what travelling is all about! Appreciating the luxuries of home while stepping out of your comfort zone, learning to be comfortable on your own, finding smart solutions for problems you would have handled completely differently in the past, accepting circumstances the way they are, adjusting to the feeling of being occasionally lonely, getting to know inspiring people, finding your inner self... and this only touches the surface!

So please go and travel, because life is too short and our planet too big and beautiful not to discover! You can always make money but you can't always make memories. My life goal is this: once a year I want to go to a place I haven't been before!

[blockquote_with_author author]"To travel is to take a journey into yourself."[/blockquote_with_author]

 Find out how other people live, eat and love, and learn from them wherever you go! Bask in the sunshine, swim in the salty sea, climb the highest mountains and drink in the wild air! Sail away from your safe harbour. Dream. Discover. Explore! #‎puravida